Following an unsuccessful challenge to the legality of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of City Hall, Town Clerk Royston King yesterday began facing questions and submitted evidence to support the legality of his actions when he leased the Sussex Street wharf claimed by NICIL to a shipping company.
The highly anticipated testimony of King, who was sent on leave to facilitate the probe, was delayed by several hours after his lawyer, Maxwell Edwards, challenged both the fairness and legality of the CoI.
Just after 3 pm, retired judge Cecil Kennard, who is Chairman of the Commission, ruled that the CoI was “properly set up” and King finally took the stand for brief questioning.
Apart from brief testimony before it was adjourned until Friday, King submitted an affidavit to the CoI indicating that his appearance was “under protest” and “without prejudice” to his rights to insist on strict compliance with the Eighth Schedule (paragraph 1) of the Municipal and District Councils Act, which argues that the Local Government Commission (LGC) “shall specify the terms of reference (ToR) of the inquiry.”
